To ‘B’ team or not? It’s confusing for Haas

It could be that humanity is evolving into a species where the individual’s memory capabilities are in fact regressing?

This the strength of this proposition is increased when an individual actually fails to remember something they said. When they fail to remember something they claimed to be a personal trait, an attribute or even an ambition – our theory is gaining momentum by the minute.

When black becomes white – “Me Tarzan. You Jane,” has become an aspirational standard for routine intercourse.

Gene Haas created a blaze of publicity last year following the announcement he was to enter an all new F1 team into the 2016 competition. Haas repeatedly declared he had a ‘new’ philosophy for starting up and running an F1 team, and was clearly dismissive of the financial approach and operational methodology of Caterham, Marussia and HRT.

‘They wound up making a lot of mistakes. Inevitably they didn’t have the resources, or the cars weren’t properly put together, because they rushed things,’ was Haas analysis of the efforts form the three ‘new’ F1 teams.

However, those with more than a fragment of historical F1 knowledge of course are aware that the three ‘new teams’ were told a pack of lies about the competition they were entering and were doomed to failure thereon in.

No matter, Gene Haas in many ways is a breath of fresh air for F1. We have a new character in the sport whose opinionated and outspoken ways will see him become a caricature fairly quickly. Haas is a man confident in his own abilities. He has developed his machining business into a global affair, so whether he realises there are ‘Haas’ engraved whips and chains buried deep in his Ferrari agreements is yet to be seen.

‘We’d be very proud to be a Ferrari ‘B’ team’,” announced the American, as he outlined his approach will be to build an F1 car by outsourcing as much as is possible to others.

Whilst the FIA regulations on ‘restricted parts’ – the components teams must build for themselves or own the exclusive intellectual property for – has been relaxed over the past year, Haas in no way will be able to enter anything which resembles a ‘customer car’. And it is this concept a number of F1 observers believe is the longer term dream Gene has been sold.

Caterham, HRT and Virgin were sold the vision of a $60m budget capped Formula One. The found themselves competing against Ferrari and Red Bull spending $450-500m – and had no recourse other than to pull out of the sport.

Having openly declared his love and admiration for Ferrari and admitted he was happy for Haas F1 to be a Maranello bitch, good ‘ole Gene could hardly now pretend this was never said.

But Haas F1 now facing the reality of being joining the political sphere that is the snakepit of Formula One. Interestingly, this has led to a change of spin from the American outfit as to the degree of intimacy their relationship with the red team in fact embraces.

“I do not understand the meaning of the word ‘B-team’,” Hass F1 team Principal tells Motorsport-Total.

Günther Steiner previously of Jaguar and Red Bull fame is tasked with getting Haas F1 up and running for 2016.

“To us they [Ferrari] are a good partner who can help us to get established in Formula 1,” Steiner says.

And on the matter of choosing drivers, Gunther is adamant Ferrari will have no influence.

“We do not talk to them about things like drivers,” Steiner went on to explain. “There is no plan for a ‘B-team’, to be and to do whatever they want.”

So Gene and his team are growing up quickly, becoming big boys indeed; however their declaration to be the first team for many years who take a Ferrari engine and decide unilaterally who is in their driver line-up – just doesn’t sound quite right.

“Now, you stay away from me. Like a very good wild man” – Jane Porter.

From what I’ve read it is Danica Patrick who is losing the sponsorship. This was her IndyCar sponsor and they made the transition with/push of Patrick from IndyCar to NASCAR.
Could it not be that GoDaddy are shifting from NASCAR to F1?
Sponsoring both is too much, and maybe they are searching for more international exposure.

GoDaddy chief marketing officer Phil Bienert:
“NASCAR has been a tremendous domestic platform to help us achieve an 81 percent aided brand awareness domestically, but at this stage, we need a range of marketing assets that reach a more globally-diverse set of customers,”